The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-03-05

enable as any. According to this, there
came time when the melted mass of
matter composing the earth had so far
cooled, that the crust began to harden,
like the surface of a pond in cold day.
Water being lighter than rocks, would,
of course, come to the surface, and
cover the whole earth with an ALIEN
bracing ocean, which would in every
part boil like pot from the glowing
fires beneath. This would fill the en-
tire atmosphere with the densest vapor
and continual rain, and cover the earth
with darkness that might be felt.
Here the vision begins, and here the
science of geology commences its record.
They afterward run on in parallel lines,
and describe the same events. 1.-THE
earth was without form, and void''-
an empty chaos. "And darkness was
upon the face of the deep. And the
spirit of God moved upon the face of
the waters"- walked over the surface
of the ll-embracing ocean. "And God
said, Let there be light" The prophet
being shown the scene in vision, of
course described it as it would have ap-
peared to a spectator at the time, could
there have been one. AS the sea cooled,
and the vapor became less dense, light
began to glimmer through it, and be-
came so distinct as to enable the be-
holder to distinguish day from night.
That is, God divided the light from the
darkness, calling the light day, and the
darkness night; and the evening and
the morning, or beginning and ending
of this long period, was the first day, or
embraced the first period of the earth's
formation, or the time shown in the
first vision of the prophet.
"And God said let there be frma-
ment in the midst of the waters, and
let it divide the waters from the waters.
And God made the armament, calling
it heaven, and divided the waters which
were under the armament, from the
waters above it." AS tbs earth cooled,
and the vapors became less dense, the
continual rains would cease, and the
clouds lift, disclosing to the beholder an
open armament or canopy, seeming to
divide the waters of the ocean from the
waters in the clouds, which continued,
at intervals, to pour down copious floods
Of rain. This was the second period
the second creative day-the subject Of
the second prophetic visiohs AS yet,
even the lowest forms of life had not
commenced.
On the third, the dry land appeared,
and the waters were gathered into seas
and oceans and the land was made to
bring forth grass, herbs and trees. AS
the earth cooled, and its crust hardened
and thickened, the fires beneath pro-
duced earthquakes, which upheaved the
land, producing islands and continents,
and leaving seas and oceans in the de-
pressions. AS soon as land appeared,
vegetation cOp0IeU IL.
On the fourth day, the sun, moon and
stars appeared. The clouds then first
broke away, disclosing the greater and
lesser light, and the stars set in the fir
mament to rule the day and night, and
to be for signs and seasons, and days
and years. AS Moses described events
as they appeared in vision, or as they
would have appeared to beholder at
the time, and as these heavenly bodies
would have been then first seen, they
would seem to be created.
On the fifth day, animals were made
fishes, fowls, and great reptiles, or
whales. On the sixth, cattle, creeping
things, and beasts; and last of all,
man in the image of God. Then God
rested on the seventh day, and creation
was complete, as now.
Thus there were seven visions, like
the acts of drama. The curtain rose
and fell seven times before the prophets
mental eye, disclosing each time the
most striking appearance or phenomena
in a certain period Of the earth's prog
ress giving, as it were, a panoramic
view of it's development from chaos.
No attempt is made at completeness,
or scientific accuracy of description.
Only the most notable features appear
ing ON the landscape are mentioned.
1t is described as any ordinary observer
would, who had witnessed the original
scenes. The design was not scientific
description, but poetical effect, and the
awakening of devotion as the object
of the Bible is to promote religion, not
teach science.
Thus interpreted, the account, so far
from contradicting science, agrees in
the most wonderful manner with the
teaching of geology, as might easily be
shown and so far from being an OBJ
lection to the inspiration of the Script
ures, is very strong proof of it. The
true way, it seems to me, to overcome
skeptical objections of this kind, is to
show the groundlessness of each charge
when made, and the wonderful har-
mOny and consistency of the Bible from
beginning to end. And to awaken an
interest in its study, point out its beau
ties, its great truths, its value as